Wednesday 29th January 2014

Manual gearbox for Polo GTI

VW does an about face on gearbox options with a manual coming in 2015

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We don't know who's calling the shots at VW at the moment, but their decisions wholeheartedly receive the PH thumbs up. Just a few days after the Polo R and 370hp Golf Evo were confirmed, it has now been officially announced that the revised Polo GTI will get a manual gearbox option.

GTI has been DSG-only since launch

The DSG that has been the hot Polo's only transmission since 2010 will continue. In theory, the manual will be cheaper given a dual-clutch 'box is typically a cost option on VWs. With the 3-door GTi currently £19,730, a three-pedal car could be in 208 GTI territory (£18,895).

Our colleagues at What Car? have covered the Polo facelift in more detail but it's essentially a light cosmetic tweak with some new equipment and the option of electronic dampers. The standard cars will go on sale in April but the updated GTI won't be available until 2015.

It's an interesting development for VW's junior GTI, the implication of this move surely being customer demand for a manual. Moreover, will the Ibiza Cupra that shares its underpinnings follow suit? And what does this mean for the infamously DSG-only Renaultsport Clio?

Hopefully those questions can be answered shortly, plus the most important one of what a manual Polo GTI is like to drive. Riggers was keen on the standard car back in 2010, and the manual Golf GTI we drove recently had a really nice gear change. Could it be the Polo GTI we've been waiting for? Or had the hot hatch game moved on too far?

[Source: What Car?]

[P4ROT]

Wow that must be fairly unprecedented no? Good for you VW!

[Motorrad]

Why don't the idiots at VW (based on their ever declining quality and st customer service) put the 2.0 turbo petrol in this car?

[TameScrapman]

Motorrad said:

Why don't the idiots at VW (based on their ever declining quality and st customer service) put the 2.0 turbo petrol in this car?

It's coming

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...

[Dave Hedgehog]

Motorrad said:

Why don't the idiots at VW (based on their ever declining quality and st customer service) put the 2.0 turbo petrol in this car?

why?

also not sure why you would want a manual polo GTi, its nice car 6/10ths but gets terribly out of shape if you try to drive it enthusiastically, its more warm hatch than hot hatch imo

[Steve126]

A sensible decision. I wouldn't consider buying a car without a proper manual gearbox and there must be plenty more who feel the same, not offering a manual just limits your potential market.

[Dave Hedgehog]

Steve126 said:

A sensible decision. I wouldn't consider buying a car without a proper manual gearbox and there must be plenty more who feel the same - not offering a manual just limits your potential market.

weren't 98% of all M3s sold last year flappy paddled cars?

[Tom_C76]

I spent the whole time I owned my Fabia vRS wishing it had a manual box, and indeed sold it largely because I hated the DSG. Best move they could have made is sticking in the manual.

[Dave Hedgehog]

Tom_C76 said:

I spent the whole time I owned my Fabia vRS wishing it had a manual box, and indeed sold it largely because I hated the DSG. Best move they could have made is sticking in the manual.

offering a manual option not sticking with it

[Richard A]

Just musing on this general subject the other day, as I sort of noticed myself unconsciously enjoying working to hone perfect and timely changes, whether going for it on a twisty B road or around town and realising what an important part of driving it is for me. I probably won't be going for a Polo GTI, but good news all the same.

[iloveboost]

Dave Hedgehog said:

weren't 98% of all M3s sold last year flappy paddled cars?

Unfortunately the market doesn't agree with the 'driving gods' on the internet.

[dapearson]

I test drove an Audi A1 TSI with a DSG 'box a few weeks ago. It was absolutely st!!!

Totally surprised because i fully expected to really like it. In fact, i said to the missus that we should try it because i was convinced she'd like it. It just felt like a regular auto, albeit with fairly quick changes. Wasn't impressed. We didn't even finish the test drive.

I can't imagine the GTI being very good with that 'box.

[Motorrad]

TameScrapman said:

It's coming

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...

That's more like it.

If the Polo is a 6/10ths car then why offer a 'sporting' option at all. Some droning 4 pot diesel will do.

[Penneth]

dapearson said:

We didn't even finish the test drive.

How far was the walk back?

[dukebox9reg]

As I have already said on Autocar.

So no doubt the manual will be the same price of the current auto and then they will stick another £1500 to have an auto on this new one.

I still don't think it will trouble sales of the Fiesta even offering a manual and a slight power upgrade or the Clio being an auto rival. Purists shout and ball about having a manual option but you can guarantee 99% of sales on this will still have the DSG.

Maybe an Ibiza Cupra manual would do better as it is cheaper and aimed more at the 'young'uns' this has always been aimed at the older more grown up clientele.

The Fabia would have most likely worked as a Manual aswell but with manuals nowadays being aimed at people 'who like to drive' I don't supposedly fall into that bracket because I like a sorted auto with paddles, anyway with the aim to offer the manual at 'drivers' why would somebody go for this over a 208/Fiesta/Clio as it just isnt as good as a drivers car.

[goron59]

dapearson said:

I test drove an Audi A1 TSI with a DSG 'box a few weeks ago. It was absolutely st!!!

Totally surprised because i fully expected to really like it. In fact, i said to the missus that we should try it because i was convinced she'd like it. It just felt like a regular auto, albeit with fairly quick changes. Wasn't impressed. We didn't even finish the test drive.

I can't imagine the GTI being very good with that 'box.

Some are set up well, some not. Probably unwise to assume that a hot hatch will have the same 'box and control software as a car designed for shopping.

Having said that, the double clutch 'box in the TT RS I drove last year was crap: unwilling to change down, fluffy clutch engagement on launch, etc.

[jamieduff1981]

GTI aside I think this generation of Polo is the new Nissan Micra in my neck of the woods. Seeing those tail lights up ahead is assurance that you're going to need to overtake in the very near future. I don't think I've ever been overtaken by this shape of Polo.

They are Aberdeenshire's choice of 35mph-down-the-A-roads car.

[Dave Hedgehog]

goron59 said:

Some are set up well, some not. Probably unwise to assume that a hot hatch will have the same 'box and control software as a car designed for shopping.

Having said that, the double clutch 'box in the TT RS I drove last year was crap: unwilling to change down, fluffy clutch engagement on launch, etc.

sounds like it was fubar, cause it should slam through the box

or a very new car and still in learning mode

i assume you had pressed the sport button

[Beefmeister]

dukebox9reg said:

So no doubt the manual will be the same price of the current auto and then they will stick another £1500 to have an auto on this new one.

Yep, I think you'll be right there.

[Dr Interceptor]

At long last.

I've personally just ordered a new MK7 Golf R for April, with a Manual Box. The DSG option wasn't even considered (despite it being quicker).

I'd always go manual for my daily driver.

[sanctum]

MAnual gearbox is a huge weight saving over the DSG. For CO2 emissions that can be critical, and the CO2 emissions are only getting stricter.